AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
Ecolibrium3 (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
Older adults faced barriers to gardening and social activities at a former urban college farm due to limited accessibility. Ecolibrium3 addressed this by building four raised beds with adaptive tools and hosting art and storytelling workshops that brought residents together. Advisory meetings informed plans for ADA-friendly features like shade structures and pathways. The project strengthened intergenerational connections and set the stage for a fully inclusive farm that promotes mobility, health and community engagement.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Photo Gallery
Image:
Click on a photo to learn more
See More Projects Like This One
Portsmouth, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Residents of Atlantic Heights Senior Housing faced barriers to fresh food and outdoor activity, leaving many isolated. Gather partnered with the housing authority to build four raised garden beds, install a watering system and provide seasonal plants. Twenty residents helped plan, plant and maintain vegetables, herbs and flowers. The gardens now offer a sustainable source of produce, improve nutrition and foster social connection while removing mobility barriers. Success has inspired plans for gardening workshops and expansion to other housing sites.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Charleston, WV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Older adults relying on a local food pantry faced limited access to fresh produce, affecting nutrition and health. To address this, the organization created a community garden that supplies fruits and vegetables for pantry boxes and invites older adults to help grow them. Two Master Gardeners led the effort, mentoring younger volunteers and fostering intergenerational bonds. The garden now provides consistent access to fresh food and serves as a space for learning and connection. "It was a season filled with growth...in the hearts and minds of the young adults I had the opportunity to teach," said one gardener.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Seattle, WA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: This project spruced up the rooftop Pike Place Market Secret Garden, allowing volunteer gardeners to produce more fruits and vegetables there. All produce grown in the garden is provided to the Pike Market Food Bank, with nearly 500 fresh herbs and vegetables donated each year. In addition, the garden hosts intergenerational activities organized by a nearby assisted living facility, a childcare center and a preschool. The Pike Market Food Bank also received an AARP Community Challenge grant in 2019, which allowed it to install directional signage to help visitors find its hard-to-reach location. Established in 1982, the Pike Place Market Foundation aims to help low-income and unhoused Seattle residents who live in the neighborhood.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Duluth, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Older adults in Duluth faced barriers to healthy food and social connection, especially in neighborhoods with few events and limited transit. To address this, the organization expanded its farmers markets by adding social zones with tables, games and art supplies, and completed two murals in areas lacking public art. Staff also took anti-age discrimination training and recruited older volunteers to lead activities. The project deepened engagement, improved food access and brightened community spaces. One visitor said, "The murals completely change the feeling of the park... really livens it up and matches the energy of the markets better."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Duluth, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: This project engaged teams of participants to design solutions that will make the city more age-friendly, with a focus on areas such as housing, transportation and more.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Minnesota State Office
1919 University Avenue
Suite 500
St. Paul, MN 55104
United States